Outdoor cleaning compositions have been known and used for a variety of outdoor surfaces, such as wooden and concrete floors, fences, house siding and exterior surfaces, outdoor furniture, as well as plastic, fiberglass composite or laminated materials. Often times, outdoor surfaces accumulate dirt, grime and stains due to pollen, bird and insect droppings, spider webs and rust. Particularly, mold and mildew stains grow on many outdoor surfaces, most frequently in shady and moist areas where water or humidity is present.
Outdoor cleaning compositions have been formulated to address both the cleaning of dirt, as well as the removal of stains such as mold and mildew stains. Compositions for removing mold and mildew stains have traditionally contained a higher pH level, such as 10.0 and higher. While high pH solutions have been effective at removing mold and mildew stains, their high pH levels pose problems for the cleaner, as well as for the surface that is being cleaned. First of all, direct contact with a high pH solution can dry out or even burn the skin; protective gloves must often be worn by the user. Furthermore, the high pH solutions can also corrode hard surfaces while removing the stain. Prolonged exposure to a high pH cleaning solution can often result in corrosion to more delicate household surfaces.
It has also become important for outdoor cleaning compositions to be formulated in such a way as to have less impact on the environment (to be “green”), and to be safe for use around lawns and plants. One way in which this is encouraged is through a program of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, known as the Design for the Environment Program (“DfE”). DfE certifies “green” cleaning products through the Safer Product Labeling Program. Another is through state regulatory bodies, such as the California Air Resources Board (“CARB”). Either through regulation, or through certification, these bodies set out standards for achieving environmentally friendly cleaning products. Among the standards, are the desire for a composition that is not as corrosive as prior art products, one having a lower basic pH level.
Also, many current outdoor cleaning products require substantial scrubbing and/or a special high pressure spraying system. Those types of systems are typically time-consuming for cleaning large outdoor surface areas, and may still be ineffective for removing mold and mildew stains.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an effective outdoor cleaning composition, which is less corrosive than existing compositions for safer handling by the user, and to reduce the corrosive effects on the applied surfaces and surrounding environment.
It is further desirable to provide an effective outdoor cleaning composition and system, a concentrate which can be used with a regular garden hose for more convenient handling by the user.
It is yet further desirable to find a cleaning composition, which may be applied to a variety of outdoor surfaces, and which meets any and all applicable environmental standards and regulations, with a specific combination of surfactants, fungicides or disinfectants, chelating agents, and preservatives—all of which act in a synergistic manner to improve their effectiveness in cleaning dirt and removing stains, while ensuring a less corrosive lower basic pH.